Improvement in steam-engines



W. MOORE. Steam-Engines.

Patented Sept. 9,1879.

UNrrJED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MOORE, OF KOKOMO, INDIANA.

' IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification fOIIlllllgPitlt of Letters Patent No. 219,496, datedSeptember 9, 1879 application filed To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Moonn, of Kokomo, Howard county, Indiana,have invented anew and useful Improvement in Steam- Engines, of whichthe following is a specification. i i

M yinvention relates more especially to highpressure engines operated bythe expansive force of steam, in which such expansive force is notentirely expended in driving the piston; and consists in the method andmeans by which the steam, after driving the piston, is further utilizedfor other useful purposes.

As illustrating the principle of my invention, I have shown, and'specify herein, a reservoir, which may be a feed-water heater connectedwith an ordinary slide-valve engine, in which class of devices a higherdegree of heat is desirable, and may be attained by eX- hausting thesteam from; the engine into the heater under pressure, as hereinaftermore fully set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side eleva tion of the engine andreservoir combined. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the valveseat, with acorresponding plan view of the bottom surface of the valve. Fig. 3 is aside sectional view of the valve at the line y y, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is across-sectional view of the valve at the line :0 m. Fig. 5 is a plan ofthe face of the slidevalve, and Fig. 6 shows a modified form of valveand seat in side section; and Fig. 7 the check-valve used in connectionwith the heater.

In the drawings, A is the engine, and B the reservoir, which, in thepresent case, we may consider a feed-water heater, or a lime-extractor,in which a high degree of heat is very desirable and essential to itsperfect op eration. Pipes b I) lead from the exhaust-ports of theengineto the heater, and are provided with check-valves o, by which the returnof the steam is prevented. The valve-seat- C of the engine has tworectangular end ports, (I d, communicating with the cylinder in theusual manner. The exhaust-ports are three in number, a a c, of which thetwo former communicate with the heater, as before described, while thelatter is open to theatmosphere by means of the ordinary escape-pipe.

The slide-valve D is constructed with a 1011- gitudinal partition,dividing the recesses or" July '7, 1879.

channels 01' d c from those indicated at d" d a a, as shown more fullyin the plan view, Fig. 5, and in the sections of the valve, Figs. 3 and4., taken on the lines :20 m and y 3 of Fig. 2, respectively. Thecorresponding recesses of the val veeommunieateby channels, as shown inFigs. 3 and 4.

It will be observed that the eXhaust-cavities d of the valve aresituated in advance of the cavities d. a

Supposing, now, the valve upon its seat, and traveling from right toleft, or in the contrary direction, it will be readily seen that theexhaust of steam from the cylinder through the port d of the valve-seatwill pass firstinto and through the recess (1 of the valve, and throughthe channel connecting it with port a, and thence into the heater. Thismay be termed the preliminary exhaust, and the dimensions of the valveand the relative position of the ports and its operating mechanism areso arranged that the preliminary exhaust begins after steam is cut ofi.for expansive working, but before the stroke of the piston is fullycompleted. As the valve continues its travel, and when the piston hasabout completed its stroke, the main exhaustportd of the valve opens,and allows the remaining steam to escape into the outer air, thus preventing any back pressure on the piston. The preliminary exhaust istherefore under pressure according to the pressure of steam in thecylinder, and the capacity of the heater being insufficient to allow afull expansion of the steam, it receives the benefit of the increasedpressure, and consequent higher degree of heat of the steam exhaustedinto it. For example: Suppose the pressure of steam in the cylinder,when the preliminary exhaust takes place, to be one hundred pounds persquare inch, its temperature will be about 337 Fahrenheit. Now, beingallowed to flow into a larger containing-space formed by the heater, itspressure will be correspondingly reduced-say to fifty pounds per squareinchand its temperature to 300 Fahrenheit. This pressure beingpractically maintained bythe recurring exhaust from the workingcylinder, and the check-valves preventing a return flow, there is acorresponding gain in the heat above what would exist were the steamallowed to expand in the heater to its normal state at 212 Fahrenheit.

The check-valve o in each connecting-pipe is held to its seat by aspring, as shown in I Fig. 6. By the use of these a substantiallycontinuous pressureis maintained in the heater or other vessel intowhich the steam is exhausted.

Another form of the valve and seat by which a similar result is attainedis shown in Fig. 6. The valve has three cavities and the valveseat fiveports, all in the same line. Supposing the valve in the position shownin the figure and moving to the right, the cylinderport cl is aboutopening into the valve-cavity g. The steam from the cylinder will passthrough the cavity g, and thence by the port 01' to the heater, and asthe valve continues to move the cavity f will open into d, when theremaining steam will pass over through f into the port 0 and escape intothe atmosphere. The operation in the other direction is preciselysimilar.

The principle of my invention may be carried into operation by using twoor more valves instead of one, or by using lifting or rotating valvesoperated by cams or otherwise. It may be applied to any of the purposesto which the heat or pressure of the exhaust-steam is applicable, suchas heating buildings, boiling or evaporating liquids, drivingsupplemental engines, &c., by means of a reservoir or pipes, into whichthe preliminary exhaust may take place.

Having described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by LettersPatent 1. The method of utilizing exhauststeam of a high-pressuresteam-engine for heating and other purposes and preventing back-pressureupon the piston, the same consisting in directing the preliminary orfirst part of the exhaust into a suitable reservoir, and diverting thefollowing or main portion of the exhaust to the open air, substantiallyas described.

2. In combination with the suitably and corspondingly formed valve-seatof a high-pressure engine, a valve or valves adapted to direct thepreliminary or first part of the exhaust from the cylinder of saidengine to a closed reservoir, and to direct the following or mainportion of said exhaust to the open air, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a valve-seat provided with ordinary receivingsteam -ports and two sets of exhaust-ports, a slide-valve divided by alongitudinal partition, having recesses upon one side suitably arrangedto allow a preliminary and partial exhaustinto one set of saidexhaust-ports, and upon the other to allow a main exhaust into the air,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The valve-seat 0, provided with receiving-ports d d and exhaust-portsa a 0, in combination with the valve D, provided with re cesses d d a a,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of June,1879.

WILLIAM MOORE.

, Witnesses:

EDGAR J. Gaoss, L. M. HOSEA.

